Basic three wheeled bicycles or tricycles are known in the art. A majority of such tricycles include a frame secured to two wheels at the rear of the tricycle, a seat secured to the frame and a steering assembly secured to the front of the tricycle including handlebars, a head tube, and a fork secured to a third, usually larger, front wheel. A set of pedals are usually secured to an axle of the front wheel so that a child may operate the tricycle by actuating the pedals in a circular motion. In addition, some tricycles comprise a step secured to the rear portion of the frame between the rear wheels to shield the axle and allow the child to operate the tricycle by placing one foot on the step and using the other foot to kick the ground, thus moving the tricycle forward.
An issue arises with basic tricycles in that younger children with shorter legs may have trouble riding a basic tricycle as their legs may not be long enough to actuate the pedals and/or the child may not be developmentally ready to power and guide the tricycle. In such cases, an adult may be required to push and/or guide a child seated on the tricycle during early developmental uses.
Heretofore, guide handles have been provided to give the guardian some control over the child and tricycle. However, previous guide handles are often difficult to remove from the tricycle and do not provide an alternative surface (apart from unreachable, turning pedals) for placement of a younger, smaller rider's feet to prevent scuffing as a result of the feet dangling to the ground.
Accordingly, there is a desire for an improved tricycle configured so that a guide handle with integrated footrests may be easily added or removed therefrom.